Course Outline

Course Outline for Dental Hygiene 83
Patients with Special Needs

Effective: Fall 2024
SLO Rev:

Catalog Description:

DHYG 83 - Patients with Special Needs

1.00 Units

Dental Hygiene therapy with emphasis on the management of patients with special needs. Management of this population will include current clinical in-office strategies, as well as applications of mobile dentistry and teledentistry technology.

Prerequisite: DHYG 80A, Corequisite: DHYG 80B and DHYG 81B.

CB03: TOP Code 1240.20 - Dental Hygienist*

CIP Code 51.0602 - Dental Hygiene/Hygienist.

Course Grading: Letter Grade Only

Type	Units	Inside of Class Hours	Outside of Class Hours	Total Student Learning Hours
Lecture	1.00	18.00	36.00	54.00
Total	1.00	18.00	36.00	54.00

Measurable Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:

use appropriate terminology and communication in regards to clients with special needs;
define disability;
identify clients with special needs by using the DH care form and critical information from the medical history review;
list barriers to oral health care for individuals with special needs, including pregnancy, toddlers/young children, people with mobility limitations/wheelchairs;
describe causes and types of physically limited conditions;
describe causes and types of hearing impaired conditions;
describe causes and types of visually impaired conditions;
define dental care needs and treatments for patients with the above special needs;
to define dental care and treatment needs for patients with cleft lip and/or palate, acute or chronic oral lesions
describe causes and types of mentally impaired conditions, including emotional disturbances;
articulate the behaviors associated with the major classification of mental illness;
identify specific mental disorders and their relevance to dental treatment;
develop treatment plans for patients with mental illness;
identify the classification of the salivary glands;
identify patients with decreased salivary function;
manage oral health problem directly caused by salivary gland dysfunction;
compare and contrast two forms of immunity;
define immune system dysfunction including: diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, pernicious anemia, myasthemia gravis, multiple sclerosis, chron’s disease, psoriasis, scleroderma, thyroid disease, addison’s disease;
describe diseases and conditions from which an acquired immune system dysfunction can result;
define respiratory disease, associated treatment needs and methods of adapting appointment accordingly;
define substance abuse and describe the multiple causes of it;
define cardiovascular disease, associated treatment needs and methods of adapting the appointment accordingly;
identify incidence, risk factors, and treatment of cancer;
articulate the oral complications common for a chemotherapy patient, and articulate the prevention and care associated with each complication;
develop a care plan for a patient undergoing chemotherapy;
identify the etiology, incidence, risk factors and treatment of HIV and AIDS;
compare and contrast the clinical characteristics of HIV and AIDS;
develop a care plan for a patient with HIV and AIDS;
identify causes and symptoms of cancers of the head and neck;
demonstrate the various methods of evaluating lesions;
describe the types of oral complications associated with head and neck cancer treatment;
outline an oral care protocol for patients before, during and after radiation therapy;
describe the prevalence, incidence, and distribution of selected neurological and sensory impairments in specific populations;
describe some of the more common causal agents that lead to neurological and sensory impairment(s);
list and describe the specific impairments that are characteristic of each neurological and sensory disorder;
demonstrate a basic understanding of the classifications of severity for selected impairments;
demonstrate ability to analyze literature for validity and to explain the applications to clinical practice.

Course Content:

Physically limited patients
Hearing impaired patients
Visually impaired patients
Mentally impaired patients
Use of appropriate terminology and communication for special needs patients
Dental needs and treatments for special needs patients, including those with congenital oral disability
Barriers to care for patients with special needs
Salivary dysfunction
Respiratory complications with treatment
Cardiovascular complications with treatment
Neurological and sensory impairment
Hormonal imbalances
Mental and emotional disturbances
Immune system dysfunction
Substance abuse and oral manifestations
HIV and AIDS and oral health
Head and neck cancer and radiation
Development of a care plan for patients with special needs
Teledentistry and its application to special needs practice

Methods of Instruction:

Audiovisual aids
Guest lecturers
Lecture/Discussion
Demonstration/Exercise
Class and group discussions
Lectures
Demonstration
Group Presentations

Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:

1. Typical Assignments

Textbook reading assignments
Final presentation
Topic research
Do a written evaluation for each of the classroom presentations

2. Methods of Evaluating Student Progress

Quizzes
Critical thinking exercises
Written assignments
Final Examination or Project

3. Student Learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of this course, the student should be able to:

Use appropriate terminology and effectively communicate with patients with special needs.
Identify barriers to oral health care for individuals with special needs and be able to formulate a comprehensive treatment plan.

Textbooks (Typical):

Textbook:

Boyd, L., Mallonee, L., & Wyche, C. (2021). Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist (13ed). Jones & Bartlett.
Darby & Walsh (2020). Dental Hygiene Theory and Practice (5th). Evolve Elsevier.

Abbreviated Class Schedule Description:

Dental Hygiene therapy with emphasis on the management of patients with special needs.